The Labor enquirer., 1887-03-19
How the Workers Could Reach
the Result Desired by Con-
stitutional Amendment.
The henry George scheme Explained
in Plain Words BY Conrads
=. 8. Griala.

Il Il
the ballot, and if accomplished with
that it will have to be done BY an
amendment 70 the United States consti.
tuition, who b amendment might in sub.
stance be about IS follows:
mo person Or corporation shall here
after own. purchase, sell or convey any
land whatever in any manner bv deed.
lease. will or otherwise. and all land IL.
ties are hereby declared to be aud are
forever null and void throughout the
United States. except as herein pro-
vided. Actual posses ion as defined bv
the common law, and receipted tax
bill shall be the only tile any person or
corporation shall hold to land.
"All persons in possession of land
when this amendment goes into effect
shall not be disturbed If their taxes are
duly paid on said land.
ANY person or corporation removed
from land duly in their possession, il
removed by right of emiDent domain
shall be paid the full cost of moving to
an equally suitable location.
ANY person who shall for himself or
for acother OF for auy COMPANY or cor.
poration either give or receive anv con-
sideratlon for the possession or use of
any land shall be deemed guilty of a
felony aud shall be punished accord
ingly. ~
"All Improvements made on land
shall be exempt from taxes against the
person making the same. and. the tax on
the land shall be same to him as though
no improvem rents had been made. All
persons taking possession of improved
land shall bs taxed for the full value of
leland as found to he it's true value at
the date Of taking possession.
"Persons OF corporations wishing to
take or to abandon possession of any
land must ma Ike a certificate of the same
and file it with the proper recorder, who
shall keep q record OF the same.
|. "Congrt ss shall have pow er to make all
laws necessary to give lis amendment
full effect"
When two-thirds Of the states vote for
an amendment similar to the above
land will be and remain free. No one
need be paid for his land because NO
land will be taken from anyone. Peo-
pie finding they cannot sell land will
not keep possession Of 1t and paw the
taxes unless they have use for the land
andahis is the exact object of the move,
namely, that no one will hold land he
has no ute for. Taxes would be nc
higher then than now. As long as i'm
improvements are not taxable against
the person making them, everyone will
make all the improvements he has any
use for.
Soma think land could not be free
without great deal of Quarelling about
possessions: forgetting that people are
now Quarreling all the time in The courts
about land, and the great cause of the
quarrel is that each thinks he isn't get.
ting his full value that he could turn
into money.
One of the results of free land woul q
be to remove nearly all Ca uses and op'
portunity ior quarrel. Suppose man
had home he had been caring for and
beautifying all his life and he and his
son both desire that the son shall have
possession when the father is done with
it. What is easier than that the father
should make his certificate sdrrend or
ing possession at the same time the son
files cert 6cate taking possession. and
both certificates to be recorded to
gether TIE son will have to paw take
on his fathers improvements; but thu,
is fair. and this will make the son anx
ious that the father hold possession a
long as possible.
If man las 100 acres OF land aud
thinks he does not want so much to Day
taxes ON all he need TO do to be relievet
Of the taxes is to file With the recorder
q certificate setting forth the land h'
wishes to abandon. The land go aband
oned would pay no taxes until someon,
took possession of 1t and recorded hi
certificate of possession, after which hs
would be regularly taxed and the Ian,
would be taken from him if he did no
pay the tax. Rent money and pul
chase money and all gifts. whether givel
or taken, being declared q felony viii
destroy sll land speculating and land
iordism. II person put building o
other personal property on piece o
land he could hold the land it covere,
4 over and would be deemed ir posses
sion as long as he paid the tax on tn
land it occupied. Failing to pay the ta,
, ON the land he would looss his buildin
If he had not previously moved it.
u Making all land free bv constitr
tional amendment would not have tn
effect that laanv suppose. A farms
oeuld not complain that hs had worxe